


Seven Days

by RensSaxophone



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:33:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23579983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensSaxophone/pseuds/RensSaxophone
Summary: This is mostly just fluff
Relationships: Ichinose Tokiya/Jinguuji Ren/Kurosaki Ranmaru
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Day One

“I was thinking about starting to write.” Tokiya brings up, setting down the book he had been staring at for the past few minutes. Ranmaru was in the middle of the couch, reading a magazine, and Ren was on the end, looking at his phone. Both men look up when Tokiya speaks. 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Ren smiles. 

“Yeah.” Ranmaru grunts. “ With all ‘a the books ya read, I’d be interested ‘t see what you come up with.”

Tokiya opens his book back up as Ranmaru and Ren settle back into their own activities, but Tokiya isn’t really reading, his mind moving too quickly to focus on the words in the book. 

Starting as soon as later that night, Tokiya had dug out his old laptop, opening the notepad on it and beginning to write. 

When he starts, it feels hard to stop. Over the span of two weeks he spends all of his free time on his laptop, going into work off of no sleep and staying up for multiple nights at a time. 

“Toki, babe-” Ranmaru sits down beside him, looking over his shoulder. “Shit, that’s a lot. Is this what you’ve been workin’ on?”

“It’s just one story. I’ve made a few.”

Ren had been passing through the room, but his attention is caught by Ranmaru and Tokiya’s conversation. Tokiya hadn’t been ignoring either of them- but he had certainly been more distant, caught up in his writing. “Oh?” Ren’s approached now, looking at the screen, too, hovering by Tokiya’s side. “Could I read some of them? I’ve been wondering what you’ve been writing about.”

“Alright.” Tokiya wasn’t necessarily _that_ confident in his writing- but why write something that no one else would read? He hadn’t found a place online yet to post his works, should he choose to, but getting Ren and Ranmaru’s opinion did mean a lot to Tokiya. 

“You’ve been writing pretty non stop. Why don’t you take a break, and we can read a story?” 

Tokiya almost hesitates, but then he nods. “Okay.”

Tokiya actually goes to take a bath, taking a book with him on his way to the bathroom. He leaves his laptop open, and he thinks he hears some sort of surprise from Ren about how many windows he had open. He had quite a few stories he had started but had yet to finish, and he didn’t like closing them because he was worried about never finishing them. 

Tokiya stays in the bath for a long time, getting through a decent chunk of his book. He really hadn’t read very much lately. By the time he finally gets out of the tub, dries himself off and gets into his sleep clothes, Ren and Ranmaru are sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch, shoulder to shoulder with Tokiya’s laptop resting on their thighs between them. 

They’re focused on his writing, not even looking up when Tokiya reenters the room. He sits on the chair rather than the couch, and he opens his book again, but he finds himself glancing at Ren and Ranmaru as they read. 

Tokiya’s characters were virtually himself, Ren and Ranmaru. They were under different names and appearances, but he knew that Ren and Ranmaru would have been able to see through that immediately. 

Finally, Ranmaru closes the laptop, twisting to put it on the couch behind them. Ren’s looking at Tokiya, but he almost seems to be thinking of something else. Ranmaru drags his hand over his face, and an undeniable nervousness crosses over Tokiya. 

“I take it that it wasn’t very good?”

“That’s not it at all, Toki. You’re a talented writer, and your stories _are_ interesting.” Ren speaks, up, but Ranmaru talks as soon Tokiya is done speaking. 

“It’s really fuckin’ dark, Toki.” 

“Oh.” Tokiya rubs the back of his neck, glancing away. “I… yeah. I guess it is.”

“You’re awfully hard on yourself.” Ren comments. “Or… the main character. He really does go through a lot.”

“I feel bad putting the others through it.” Tokiya goes a bit red. 

Ranmaru sighs. “Why’s it all so… fucked up?”

“If I didn’t live with you, Toki, I’d be extremely concerned for what you’ve been through.” 

“Those are the kinds of things I think about a lot.” Tokiya admits. “Most of my ideas come from sad, dark or messed up themes.”

“You have some nice things in them, Toki. I especially thought the softer parts were nice.”

“...You didn’t think they were boring?” Tokiya frowns. “...I just… I don’t know how to write those kind of things. It’s not necessarily that I don’t want to- it’s just more of… I’m not really sure how. How to write it and make it readable.”

Tokiya sees a look cross over Ranmaru’s eyes, and his suspicions are confirmed when he sees the smirk pull across Ranmaru’s face. “Well, writin’ can come from experience, right?”

“What are you suggesting?” Tokiya’s almost a bit cautious, watching Ranmaru’s face. 

“Y’could probably write happier things if you took a ‘lil time and really focused on things you can write into scenes.”

Ren’s eyes light up, a bright smile crossing his face as he understands Ranmaru’s suggestion. “You obviously like the romance aspect, Toki. It’s in most of your stories. I’d bet you could make a very… _fluffy_ story, if you wanted to.”

Tokiya watches them, but his expression softens, and he hums. “Well. I suppose it’s at least worth a try. I’m _certainly_ not against it. But there isn’t anything I can just _ask_ of you, because I still don’t have any ideas.” 

“Leave that to us.” Ren reassures. 

“Just pay attention, over the next week ‘n we’ll give ya plenty ‘a material.” 

“I’m… frankly terrified.” Tokiya admits, though his face shows something else entirely. He was nervous- but he was _excited_ , too. “But I’ll go along with it.”

“Just try ‘t write down your ideas. I won’t tell ya ‘t stop writing, but I want you ‘t cut it down. Honestly, I wish you’d cut it down just in general, but ‘specially this week.”

“This will be nice.” Ren’s smile is soft. “I’ve been missing you lately, baby. We only ever get you when we lay down. We’re retired. We should have _more_ time together- not _less_.”

The retirement was recent. All three men, Ranmaru included, still did the occasional odd job, one of which Tokiya had just finished. Next week, for all three of them, should be fairly open. Tokiya was beyond curious. 

“And when are we starting this?” Tokiya’s eyebrow raises. 

“Whenever we wanna.” Ranmaru grins. “But technically it starts now.”

“Hmm.” Ren hums happily. “It’s going to be like a romance movie. We’re going to have to get creative.”

“You came to this idea awfully quick, Ran. I’m almost starting to think you’ve thought of it before.” Tokiya’s eyebrow raises. 

Ranmaru’s expression is almost challenging, but his voice is soft- too soft. “‘Ve been missin’ you. It’s hard ‘t have ya so focused on your writing. I like bein’ able ‘t bother ya, y’know. Wanted an excuse ‘t get my hands on you.”

“I’m not surviving this week.” Tokiya gives a playful groan. “Do I get any types of heads up beforehand?”

“Nope.” Ren grins. “That’s part of the fun. You may plan things as the author, but the character has no idea what you have planned for them. Ran and I are just going to the authors for a few days. We’ll take good care of you, baby, I promise.”

“I hope so.” Tokiya mumbles. Of course, he knew they would. He wasn’t worried about _that_. He was more worried about having a heart attack while they were doing it. 

Tokiya shakes his head, but he stands, to go grab his laptop. Neither man says anything, but they’re watching him closely. Tokiya takes the time he has to write, because he’s not sure how much time he’s going to have in the upcoming week. 

Tokiya writes for hours. “Baby, it’s time for dinner.” Ren had been the one sent to get Tokiya’s attention and drag him downstairs. 

“I’ll grab something quick later.” Tokiya promises, still focused on his laptop. 

Ren clicks his tongue disapprovingly. “I believe we had an agreement for you to write less.” Ren gently lowers the laptop. “And I don’t like you missing dinner, anyhow.”

Tokiya sighs, but he moves his hands, letting Ren close and take the laptop. Ren sets it on the couch as Tokiya makes his way to his feet, and they make their way to the living room together, though Tokiya does seem a bit pouty. He’s quiet during dinner, getting an occasional eyebrow raise from Ranmaru. Ren finishes, but he waits for Tokiya to be done, and he moves behind him, leaning over Tokiya, one hand running down his chest. “Let’s do the dishes together, Toki.”

“Alright.” Tokiya may have been acting a bit bratty- but he had never been the type that would deny helping. After all- he hadn’t made dinner, but he had eaten it. It was only fair of him to clean up. 

When they start the dishes, Ren stands far too close, their hips pressed together. Ren had been kind enough to wash the food off of the dishes, handing them to Tokiya to put into the dishwasher. Tokiya had originally tried to give Ren distance, but when Ren was so insistent on hip checking Tokiya that he was starting to move _away_ from the sink, Tokiya just let him stand too close. 

Tokiya watches Ren, as he works. Ren’s hair was pulled up into a messy bun, strands falling out of it and his bangs back in front of his face. The sleeves of Ren’s cover up were rolled up to his elbows, and the muscles in his forearms flex as he scrubs at a particularly difficult plate. His skin is pretty- much, much more tan than Tokiya’s or Ranmaru’s, and he still took good care of it, making it smooth and soft. Tokiya lifts his eyes to Ren’s face- his expression soft in his conversation, Ren was pretty- it was undeniable. But what really gets Tokiya is the look Ren’s started giving him, noticing Tokiya watching him- but Tokiya gets stuck on his eyes. There were quite a few different types of blue- descriptions fitting ice, or ocean or sky. When Tokiya looked into Ren’s, he thought of sapphires. The gem may have been a shade darker than Ren’s, but the gem was gorgeous. Something that the two things had in common. 

Ren takes the dry dish towel besides him, wiping off his hands, and Tokiya’s eyes follow the movement, and he swears that Ren slows down when he does. Ren’s fingers are slender, and it’s not hard for Tokiya to picture them, tilting his head up by the chin, pressing against the side of the face and brushing along his cheekbone. Tokiya’s cheeks feel just a bit warmer, lost in these thoughts. 

“The dishes aren’t done, you know.” Tokiya mumbles, distracted. Ren’s lips turn up at the corners and his eyelids lower- his eyes narrower but now in a glare. It’s a playful expression, with just an edge of something else. “Well, how can I keep working when you’re looking at me like that?” Ren moves, one of his hands moving to Tokiya’s waist, his thumb pressed to Tokiya’s back and his fingers curling around Tokiya’s side, and he pulls Tokiya closer. Ren’s hand is soft, and from a glance could even be described, looking nearly delicate- but they were strong. Ren pulls Tokiya into his chest, and Tokiya can feel Ren’s calm breathing against his back- the rise and fall of his chest. It’s hard, pressed against Ren’s firm chest, but it’s comfortable. More so when Ren’s warm arms wrap themselves across Tokiya’s waist, and Ren settles his chin on Tokiya’s shoulder. It’s a bit sharp, pressing into a sensitive spot on Tokiya’s shoulder, but the weight is comforting. 

As Ren embraces Tokiya, a thought crosses through Tokiya’s mind. This must be one of the moments they’ve promised to deliver. Tokiya was glad, at his overanalysis- because at least he was doing _his_ part. Which was very distracting with Ren’s messy hair brushing against Tokiya’s cheek. It was soft, but ticklish.

Tokiya stays quiet for a long moment, closing his eyes to focus on Ren. Ren was just a bit bigger than Tokiya, though Tokiya felt even smaller in Ren’s embrace- though it isn’t an unwelcome feeling. Ren doesn’t take it any further, just curled in over Tokiya. He seems relaxed. It was only fall, but the nights had gotten chilly- and handling the wet plates had given Tokiya a bit of a chill, so wrapped up in Ren’s arms was certainly much warmer. Finally, Tokiya’s eyes open. He’s gentle, putting his hands over Ren’s, to pull them away, and his voice is a mumble. “We should finish.”

“Wait.” Tokiya stills when Ren speaks, Ren’s arms only tightening on Tokiya’s waist, pressing him tighter to Ren’s chest. “Don’t pull away. Not yet.” 

Tokiya listens, and one of Ren’s hands slides up, over Tokiya’s stomach and chest to land on his shoulder and pull him even closer still. Ren keeps him in an embrace for a long few more minutes, and then Tokiya sighs, though he’s unable to put enough exasperation in it. “Ren, I’m going to fall asleep standing up if you keep this up.”

Ren’s laugh is soft, but it’s bright and melodious. It’s a sound that Tokiya loves, and he realizes, with a bittersweet pang in his chest, one that he hasn’t heard in a while. At least not caused by him. Ren finally pulls back, but his hands drag across Tokiya’s clothes as they leave his body, and Tokiya feels cold, when Ren steps away. He hadn’t noticed how natural he felt with Ren’s arms around him until they weren’t there. Tokiya needs to take a second to adjust to Ren’s absence before he can keep helping Ren- though Ren had already turned back to the sink to start on the next dish. Tokiya has just recovered when Ren offers him the wet dish to put into the machine, and Tokiya loads it, but he can see the amusement clear in Ren’s eyes. 

“I think I’m ready for bed.” Tokiya sighs, once they’ve finished with their task. In addition to the kitchen ‘scene’, he actually hadn’t slept last night. He can easily recall his eyes feeling heavy in the tub, even. He was ready to sleep this week off. 

It absolutely wasn’t because he didn’t love Ranmaru and Ren. It was because he had kept himself too distant for too long- even before the writing. He had done more solo gigs out of all of them, and had spent most of their time together just reading, on his own separate spot on the couch. 

It wasn’t necessarily that he didn’t _want_ to be with them. He loved them both more than anything, and he had for years- but it wasn’t easy, for him, anyways, to reinitiate the intimacy. And he was just as hopeless when it came to asking for it, too. 

Of course, they hadn’t completely ignored him- but they had both been less intimate with him as his subtle distancing increased, and Tokiya (as embarrassed as he’d be to admit it) felt a bit touch starved. But it was difficult for Tokiya to admit that he was excited about this week to even himself- but his heart was still racing and his mind was still back in Ren’s arms, standing in front of the sink. 

“Then let’s lay down.” Ren’s arm wraps around Tokiya’s shoulder, his thumb rubbing the side of Tokiya’s shoulder. 

“You don’t have to go to sleep with me. It’s still fairly early.”

“I don’t mind. And I’m sure that Ran, won’t either.”

“We’re telling Ran, now, too? It’s seven, Ren.”

“And you’re tired, I want to lie down with you, and Ran is always up for sleeping.” Ren’s voice slips into a purr. “Unless you’d _like_ it to be just you and me.”

“...We should at least give Ran the choice.” It wasn’t as much of a dismissal as they both thought that it would be- but even if it had been, Tokiya’s growing blush would have been a dead giveaway. 

Ranmaru is resting on the couch, one leg raised onto the cushions, the other on the floor, and he’s looking at his phone. He’d glance up when the two enter, and then he’d look down to finish his text, shifting to put his phone in his pocket. He doesn’t say anything. He just raises an eyebrow. 

“We’re going to bed, if you’d like to join us. Toki’s tired.”

Ranmaru nods, moving to stand up, and Tokiya shakes his head, exasperated. “You two really don’t have to go to bed with me at seven at night.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve all laid down at the same time. The whole point ‘a this week is ‘t be around each other, Toki. I can handle goin’ to bed a couple ‘a hours early.”

Tokiya sighs, but he doesn’t say anything further. As he’s getting changed, he gets hit with a shirt, before he manages to grab a shirt of his own. It’s Ranmaru’s shirt- but both Ranmaru and Ren are still going about their own before bed routine and Tokiya isn’t completely sure who actually threw it. Tokiya shakes his head, but he slips on the shirt. 

As the three boys go about their own personal routine, it’s quiet. When they go to get into bed, Tokiya moves towards his usual place on the edge, but as he climbs in, he’s met with Ren’s waist, as he stands above Tokiya. “Unless you’re planning to climb over me, I think it might be easier to go around.”

“I was actually trying to get you to scoot over, Toki.” Ren’s voice is amused. “I know it’s been a while since you’ve slept in the middle, but I’d like to keep you there for now.”

Ranmaru grunts, settling into the other end of the bed. Tokiya’s eyebrow raises, but he finally scoots himself over. He ends up accidentally backing into Ran, and he realizes that he’s hit Ranmaru’s chest when Ranmaru wraps his arm around Tokiya’s waist. “You can be a handful, sometimes, Toki.” Ranmaru’s voice is teasing, and he notices Ren’s amused look at Tokiya’s good natured eye roll. “But even when you’re annoyin’ the fuck outta me, I still love you.”

Tokiya goes bright red, and he playfully swats at Ranmaru’s hand around his waist. Tokiya’s voice drops into a mumble. “I love you, too.”

Tokiya knows Ranmaru is grinning. He can see Ren’s smile, too, even as Ren turns out the lights. Tokiya closes his eyes, and Ranmaru pulls Tokiya closer. Ranmaru’s hands are rougher, his grip just naturally tighter than Ren’s- but there’s a large difference in the feelings of their embrace. 

Ren’s embrace was romantic, and gentle. 

Ranmaru’s was protective and forward. 

Tokiya can’t help but admit to himself that he _is_ lucky, to get the best of both worlds. Because of course Ranmaru can be romantic, and Ren can be protective- but it never comes across in exactly the same way. Ren’s hand joins Ranmaru’s on Tokiya’s waist, and even though Tokiya is wearing a shirt, it still feels like he can feel their skin pressed against him, through the shirt. It’s warm, wrapped between them, with Ren’s bare legs moving to tangle with Tokiya’s legs, and one of Ranmaru’s legs stretching out across both pairs of their legs. Tokiya normally doesn’t enjoy tight spaces, but he can certainly make an exception for this.

Tokiya rests his forehead against Ren’s shoulder, the only sound in the room being the silent breathing of all three men. When Tokiya focuses on it, he can feel his eyes get heavy, and he lets himself relax, falling asleep with his thoughts finally quiet.


	2. Day Two

Both Ren and Ranmaru are still in bed when Tokiya wakes up. Tokiya turns onto his stomach, still too tired to fully realize that he hasn’t woken up in the bed alone, but it works against him, because Ranmaru turns, and while he isn’t completely on top of Tokiya, he’s definitely almost laying on him. Ranmaru’s arm wraps around Tokiya, and Tokiya feels him nuzzle his nose against the back of Tokiya’s neck, near the area where Tokiya’s shoulder meets his neck. 

“You’re crushing me.” Tokiya mumbles, but it’s very clear how half-hearted it is, because Ranmaru doesn’t move. 

“Mornin’ ‘t you, too.” Tokiya can hear the smirk in Ranmaru’s voice. His voice lowers, deep enough to send a shiver through Tokiya that he knows Ranmaru doesn’t miss. “It sure is nice to wake up with you next ‘t me, Toki.”

Tokiya buries his head in the pillow, hiding the red on his face, but he knows that his ears and the back of his neck are red, too, and are giving him away. 

Ranmaru was strong- and with the way he was pushed up against Tokiya made it hard to forget. Ranmaru had moved on to kissing any part of Tokiya’s skin that he can reach, and his lips are dry and his breath is warm, but Tokiya can feel the warmth from the kisses linger even when Ranmaru moves on to the next patch of skin.

“I’m- I’m pretty sure that I woke up next to you…” Tokiya’s comeback is weak, and that’s because Ranmaru is extremely distracting. 

“You were asleep, Toki. 'S not like you just appeared again when you woke up. Altho fuckin’ half the time I wake up you’re already gone anyways. It’s a nice change. Y’look less stressed when you’re asleep. That part’s real nice.”

“He’s right.” Ren’s voice is softer. He reaches over, gently brushing some of Tokiya’s hair away from Tokiya’s face. “You’re so much more relaxed when you’re asleep. I wish you’d let yourself relax more while you’re awake.”

“Even right now.” Ranmaru grumbles. “You’re not foolin’ us, Toki. We both know you well enough ‘t know that you haven’t hated anythin’ we’ve done yet, and we know what’s pushin’ your boundaries and what isn’t. We’re obviously not gonna judge you for likin’ it when we’re sweet ‘t you, or we wouldn’t _be_ sweet ‘t you.”

“I know it doesn’t come easy, Toki, but we want to know that you’re enjoying this, too.” An almost sad tone enters Ren’s voice. “But even as well as we know you, you’re hard to read. If you really don’t want us to do this Toki, I’d like you to tell us now.”

Tokiya hesitates, getting quiet for a long moment. When he speaks, his voice is hardly audible. “I don’t want you to stop.”

That’s all that it takes. Ranmaru squeezes Tokiya, and Ren moves to begin tracing Tokiya’s jaw with a light index finger. Even as Ren’s touch moves, Tokiya still feels a warm buzz where his finger had just been on his skin. Ranmaru’s touch is intoxicating, and Tokiya doesn’t want Ranmaru to let him go. 

It takes them at least an hour to get out of bed, and even then, Ranmaru spends all of it nearly on top of Tokiya. Had it gotten too much, Tokiya would have gotten him off- but he had a suspicion that Ranmaru was not putting as much weight on Tokiya as he could have. It was a consistent pressure, but not a crushing one. 

Ren orders breakfast, and they stay in, though it’s already nearing noon. Tokiya had slept in far later than he had meant to. He wonders how long Ren and Ranmaru had spent in bed with him while he was sleeping, but he pushes that thought out of his head. After dinner, they’d head to the couch. This was normally around the time where they each do their own indivdual thing, but usually Tokiya is sitting on the edge of the couch, just a bit distanced from them. Today, he finds himself with his book in the middle of the couch, leaning into Ren’s side with his feet in Ranmaru’s lap. 

Normally, when Tokiya read, he didn’t cry. He could read sad material, and dark material and hardly even bat an eye. Usually, should something affect him, he feels his stomach twist uncomfortably and his chest constrict, but it still never brought him to _tears_. 

Death was typically the exception. 

He could handle anything from breakups to torture - but when it came to losing a character he had grown to care for, sometimes it just hit him. Especially because he usually replaced names in the books he read, especially if they were romance. He hated associating Ren or Ranmaru with a character to later find out that the character doesn’t make it. It breaks his heart. 

And this time was no exception. He feels his eyes tearing up, and spilling onto his cheeks as he continues to read through the scene. Tokiya doesn’t realize how hard he’s crying until he feels a soft pressure as Ren swipes his thumb across Tokiya’s cheek.

Ren takes the book from Tokiya’s hands, moving it over to the table. Ren’s index finger curls, landing just under Tokiya’s chin, and his thumb presses to his chin, just barely brushing Tokiya’s bottom lip as he tilts Tokiya’s head, so that Tokiya is looking at him. Ren’s voice is a coo, but it’s worried rather than condescending. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Tokiya gives a weak laugh, but he knows that Ranmaru’s attention has now been drawn to them, too. “I’m fine, Ren.” Tokiya promises. “It was just a sad part of my book.”

Ren’s arms wrap tightly around Tokiya, his chin resting on the top of Tokiya’s head. 

Tokiya thought last night of how Ren could be protective, and that’s what this hold is. He was right, however, that it wasn’t the same as Ranmaru’s. There was, however, a large amount of comfort in Ren’s actions, too. Tokiya can feel Ranmaru’s hand, sliding under the leg of his pants, his thumb rubbing over Tokiya’s shin. He gives a light squeeze, his own form of reassurance. 

“Do you want to talk about it, Toki?” 

Tokiya gives a tearful laugh, but his expression is fairly soft. He bends his arm at the elbow to squeeze Ren’s arm. “You’re both very sweet, but I really am alright. It was just a character death. It’s silly. That’s all.”

“You don’t need to invalidate your feelings. Just because it’s a book doesn’t make it silly that you’re sad.” Ren’s head turns, and his cheek presses to the top of Tokiya’s head. A comforting pressure. Tokiya really doesn’t think that his reaction warrants _this_ one, but he isn’t sure that he minds it. When he’s not inconsolably upset, he can really appreciate how they try to make him feel better.

It was sweet. 

And maybe that’s why he just lets Ren hold him, and lets Ranmaru’s hand travel over his leg, the slow touches easy to focus on. One of Ren’s hands raise, to wipe Tokiya’s cheeks with the backs of his fingers, though Tokiya’s tears have stopped. Tokiya has a split second where he’s almost worried that they’re going to pull away from him, now that he’s calmed back down, but neither man does, their focus still on Tokiya. Ranmaru can see Tokiya’s face best, because Ren had pulled Tokiya into his chest, turning him just a bit. Ranmaru’s eyes stay on Tokiya’s face, watching it, and Tokiya meets his gaze, but he can feel how soft his expression is. 

Ranmaru can see his tears stop, and Ren can feel his body relax- but if anything, Ren’s grip tightens, and Ranmaru’s touch turns more gentle. When Tokiya’s eyes close, he doesn’t feel a blush raise to his cheeks. He feels calm. He feels his face relax. He focuses on the feeling of Ren’s breathing and he matches it. He’s warm, he’s calm, Ranmaru’s touch on his leg gives him a happy flutter in his chest and his mind is blissfully blank. 

They stay like this for a very long time. When Tokiya finally opens his eyes, he actually sees a very slight smile on Ranmaru’s face. When Tokiya returns it, Ranmaru’s smile widens. Ren must catch this interaction, because he squeezes Tokiya. 

“Can we watch something together?” Tokiya mumbles, his hand bending once more at the elbow, to stroke his fingers over Ren’s hand. 

“That sounds like a good idea.” Ren hums. “Horror?” 

Tokiya gives a light laugh. “I’m open to suggestions, but I am biased.”

“We can watch somethin’ scary.” Ranmaru lets out an exhale, but there’s a clear hint of amusement. “You two can stay on the couch. ‘M gonna grab a drink before we start anything. Y’want somethin’?” Ranmaru looks at both of them. 

Tokiya shakes his head, and Ren lets out a denying hum. “I’m alright. Thank you, Ran.”

Tokiya makes an agreeing, thankful noise. Ranmaru continues on towards the kitchen. Ren takes the remote when Ranmaru is gone, but he still keeps one hand on Tokiya, continuing to hold Tokiya against himself. Ren turns on the TV, and he clicks on a streaming service. 

Tokiya suggests a movie about a haunted house gone wrong, and Ren agrees- though they wait for Ranmaru before making their final decision. Ranmaru comes back, holding a beer. They had a few of them in the fridge. Ren never really drank- Tokiya had a beer every now and then, though he preferred different types of alcohol, so the beers were really for Ranmaru. He didn’t drink them all that often, usually about a bottle a week. Ranmaru settles down at the end of the couch, and Tokiya straightens his legs again, moving them back onto Ranmaru’s lap. Ranmaru sets the hand not holding his beer on Tokiya’s leg, taking a drink from the bottle in his other hand. 

Tokiya finds himself eyeing it, almost tempted to go get himself one. When Ranmaru lowers the bottle, he glances towards Tokiya’s face, raising an eyebrow, but a smirk plays on his lips. He switches the bottle into the hand nearer to Tokiya, removing it from his leg. “D’ya want a sip, Toki?” 

Ren’s arm loosens enough for Tokiya to lean forward, reaching for the bottle. Tokiya hears a chuckle, but it’s low enough that Tokiya can’t actually tell if it’s Ren or Ranmaru. It may have even been both of them. Tokiya takes a drink from the bottle. The coolness of the glass feels nice, and he runs his fingertips over it. Ranmaru watches him, his face full of amusement, the movie temporarily forgotten. 

“Can I steal ‘im, Ren?” There’s a grin on Ranmaru’s face, teasing. “‘M sure he’s gonna want ‘t steal more.” 

Tokiya sticks his tongue out at Ranmaru, but Ren laughs behind him and Tokiya takes a second to enjoy the sound. Ren’s hand pulls back, brushing over Tokiya’s chest as it does, but Tokiya shifts. He changes positions, now leaning against Ranmaru. Originally, his socked feet press against Ren’s thigh, but Ren shifts and brings Tokiya’s feet onto his lap. 

“So, we’ve settled on a haunted house movie. What do you think?” Ren finally brings the attention back to the movie.

“‘S fine with me.” 

Ren starts the movie, relaxing back into the couch. Tokiya shifts, lying his head in Ranmaru’s lap, and Ranmaru steals the bottle back. As the movie progresses, the bottle passes between the two until it’s empty and Ranmaru sets it down on the table by the couch. Sometimes, during tenser parts of the movie, Tokiya turns his head to bury his face into Ranmaru’s leg, and whenever he does, Ranmaru’s hand settles on the top of his head. It’s sweet. 

They stay on the couch for about twenty minutes after the movie ends. 

“I liked it.” Tokiya settles on. “It was a little cheesy, but I liked it.”

“Think you spent most of it with your head buried in my lap.” Ranmaru snorts. Tokiya gently smacks his knee. 

Ren chuckles. “I’m glad you liked it, Toki.” His voice is sweet. A bit too pointed- and Tokiya thinks it’s teasing Ranmaru. 

“I’ve gotta get dinner started soon.” Ranmaru’s hand moves back into Tokiya’s hair, petting through it. “Why don'tcha help me, Toki?”

“If you need my help, of course I will.”

They stay quiet for a long few moments, but it’s comfortable. Finally, Ranmaru gently taps on Tokiya’s head. “Alright. We’ve gotta get up.” 

Tokiya lets out a long, over dramatic sigh, and it makes Ren chuckle. “Feel free to let me know when I should start setting the table.” Ren offers. 

“Got it.” Ranmaru grunts, waiting for Tokiya to sit up before he stands. He offers his hand out to Tokiya, and Tokiya takes it. Ranmaru’s grip is strong, his hands a few sizes bigger than Tokiya’s own, slimmer hand, and the muscles in his arm flex as he helps Tokiya to his feet. Tokiya grabs the empty beer bottle before he follows Ranmaru into the kitchen. 

Ranmaru had asked Tokiya for help, but he’d very quickly realize that he isn’t really helping. Every once in a while Ranmaru asks Tokiya to hand him something, or to grab an ingredient from the pantry or fridge, but Ranmaru is doing all of the cooking and Tokiya is leaning against the counter, watching him work. 

Ranmaru’s face turns focused, very quickly, when he begins cooking. Tokiya watches his grey eyes, moving over the pan in front of him, only briefly glancing to the side just for long enough to make sure he’s grabbing the right ingredient. Ranmaru had a skill with his hands- as proven with his bass, but it clearly translated to his cooking, too. Tokiya rarely watched Ranmaru cook, but he’s starting to regret it. Ranmaru’s food always tasted good, but Tokiya hadn’t noticed how Ranmaru didn’t use recipes. He used what he felt was right, and based off of all of his previous results, it worked. Ranmaru’s eyebrows lower over his eyes as he focuses, and Tokiya can’t help but take the chance to really focus on Ranmaru’s face. When his hair was down and without gel as it was right now, his bangs hung even lower on his face. Ranmaru was a handsome man. Sometimes his expression was so severe and sharp and angry that it was easy to overlook it, but when Ranmaru was doing something that he cared about his face softened and it really brought out his natural attractiveness. It also helped remind Tokiya of what kind of person Ranmaru really was- a kind, thoughtful, sweet man. It was such a large part of why Tokiya loved him. 

“What?” Ranmaru meets Tokiya’s eyes, and it almost makes Tokiya jump. Ranmaru obviously knew that Tokiya was looking at him, but Ranmaru hadn’t glanced at Tokiya in minutes. Tokiya realizes, with something that’s almost satisfaction, that Ranmaru’s expression hadn’t regained his normal, harsher expression. His eyebrow had raised, and it had turned questioning- but it was still a calm expression. It puts an unwilling smile on Tokiya’s face. Ranmaru shakes his head at Tokiya’s lack of response, focusing back on the food- but Tokiya doesn’t miss the flush of red that crosses Ranmaru’s face. It’s a moment later that Ranmaru grabs a spoon. 

Ranmaru is making a fried rice dish, with vegetables and a type of meat. Tokiya was sure that Ranmaru knew what it was- but Tokiya wasn’t entirely sure. It may have been beef. But Ranmaru takes the spoon, taking a bit from the pan. 

He holds the spoon in his hand for a few seconds, balancing it as he stirs with his free hand, and then glances at the spoon, seemingly content with whatever he was doing. He turns towards Tokiya, and he brings the spoon close to Tokiya’s mouth. “Taste this.”

Tokiya goes a bit red, but the way Ranmaru is holding the spoon it’s clear that he’s planning to feed it to Tokiya. Tokiya just lets him, and when Tokiya opens his mouth, taking perhaps a few seconds longer than he should, Ranmaru feeds him the bit of rice. Tokiya wasn’t exactly a food critic- but it tasted good. And that’s what he’d try to convey to Ranmaru. 

“How is it?”

Tokiya nods. Ranmaru waits a second, but then he snorts. “That’s not an answer, Toki.”

Tokiya’s flush only deepens. “It’s good.” 

Ranmaru tosses the spoon in the sink, but there’s definitely amusement on his face. “Good.”

Tokiya notices that Ranmaru doesn’t taste it. He either really trusts Tokiya’s opinion, or he didn’t really need it tasted. Ranmaru _did_ make this dish fairly often, Tokiya guesses. The blush on Tokiya’s cheeks refuses to fade as he begins to wonder if Ranmaru just used this as an excuse to feed Tokiya. It doesn’t help that Tokiya can’t say he’d mind, if that really was the reason. 

Tokiya isn’t surprised that dinner was good. Ren had come in, just as Ranmaru had started to finish up, and he’d have flashed Tokiya a teasing smile. 

“I see you’re working hard.”

“Ran won’t let me do anything.” Tokiya huffs. 

“Y’can help Ren set the table.” 

Tokiya shakes his head, but he does, taking the silverware while Ren takes the plates. 

Tokiya’s already falling asleep again at the end of dinner, which doesn’t seem right to him, but Ren and Ranmaru both seem to notice. “Tired?” Ren is the first to bring it up.

Tokiya stays quiet. It’s still only around seven. 

“We can get some rest.” Ren offers. “Your sleeping schedule has been all messed up recently. I’m not surprised that you’re tired, darling. We can try to get you into a better schedule soon.”

Tokiya nods, but he has to stifle a yawn. “I’ll take care ‘a dishes ‘n I’ll meet you in there.”

“Nonsense.” Ren shakes his head. “You cooked. I can clean.”

Ranmaru watches Ren’s face for a second, but then he shrugs. “Alright. Thanks.”

Ren smiles at Ranmaru, and while Ranmaru doesn’t smile back, his expression openly softens. When Ren collects their plates and heads into the kitchen, Ranmaru nods at Tokiya. “C’mon. Ren’ll join us when he’s done.”

“Maybe I should help.” Tokiya glances towards the kitchen. 

“I barely used anythin’ ‘t cook. Besides- you already washed half ‘a them.”

Ranmaru wasn’t lying. While Tokiya was waiting for instruction, he had washed the cutting board and knives, and had cleaned the area of the counter that Ranmaru had cut the food on. It really only left the pan and the three dishes. Tokiya hesitates, but he’d end up nodding. 

Ranmaru accompanies him to the bedroom, though once again, as Tokiya’s changing his shirt, he’s stopped. Ranmaru’s taken one of his sweatshirts, holding it out to Tokiya, and their fingertips brush when Tokiya takes it. But Ranmaru handing him the shirt makes Tokiya wonder if it had actually been Ren that had tossed it yesterday. He doesn’t ask. 

Tokiya changes and heads to the bathroom to brush his teeth, Ranmaru following him in. Sometimes their arms brush together as they brush their teeth, and when Tokiya glances at Ranmaru in the mirror, it seems like Ranmaru’s focused on Tokiya through it. Tokiya sees Ren enter the room through the mirror, through the open door. He’s just heading into the bathroom as Ranmaru and Tokiya are finishing up. 

When Tokiya gets into the bed, he gets into the middle, to save himself the effort of moving again. He’s sure that Ren would suggest that he does, should he try to sleep on the edge. He ends up being held between the both of them again, once again lulled to sleep by their warmth and their steady breathing. 

When Tokiya starts awake, it’s still dark outside. He struggles against their arms to sit up, and in his panic he accidentally ends up pressing his hand into Ranmaru’s stomach. It depresses under his hand, and he hears a quiet groan from the man beneath him. Tokiya’s hand jerks back, but he makes himself smaller, putting his head in his hands. 

He can’t remember exactly what his nightmare was about, but the dark was starting to make him paranoid. Like he was expecting to find someone standing in it. Tokiya can’t bring himself to look around, because he knows he’d be able to find a shadow that he could make out as something it isn’t. Ren’s hand had slipped off of Tokiya in the night, as he’d turned, so Tokiya had only managed to wake Ranmaru. Ranmaru’s regained his breath from Tokiya’s accidental attack, and he’s sitting up, his hands finding Tokiya’s shoulders. 

“I’m sorry.” Tokiya’s voice is a shaky whisper. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

“‘M fine.” Ranmaru’s voice isn’t a whisper, but he does keep it low. “C’mon, lay back down with me.” Tokiya lets Ranmaru lower him, and Ranmaru’s hold on him is tight. “What happened?” 

“It’s just a nightmare.” Tokiya’s voice breaks a bit. He wishes he could remember exactly what happened, because he feels like he’d probably be less afraid if he could. He can’t convince himself that it was entirely fake if he didn’t know what to reassure himself of. Tokiya still leans forward, to hide his face in Ranmaru’s shoulder. It was easier to feel safe with Ranmaru holding onto him. 

“‘Ve got you. It’s alright.” Ranmaru’s hand rubs Tokiya’s back. “Y’wanna talk about it.”

“I would if I could.” Tokiya admits. “But I can’t remember exactly what happened. I just… feel scared.”

“You’re safe, babe. I promise.” Ranmaru tilts his head down, kissing the top of Tokiya’s head. “Try ‘t get some sleep, alright? Y’can wake me up if you have another nightmare.”

“...” Tokiya stays silent for a moment. “Thank you, Ran.”

“‘Course.” Ranmaru’s arms tighten around Tokiya. “I’ll stay awake ‘til you manage ‘t get back ‘t sleep.”

Normally Tokiya would insist that he doesn’t need to do that, but he couldn’t deny that the thought of Ranmaru watching over him made him feel much safer. He wouldn’t argue with Ranmaru about it. He’d just pull himself as close as he can, fully embracing Ranmaru, and he’d close his eyes. It isn’t easy to fall asleep, but he can tell from Ranmaru’s breathing that Ranmaru had stayed awake until Tokiya finally succumbs to sleep.


	3. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warning - drinking and cursing and dirty jokes (thanks ran)

“Toki.” Tokiya groans, hearing his name. Ranmaru’s hand is on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. It was certainly a much more gentle waking than shaking his shoulder would have been, but Tokiya still tries to bury himself further into his pillow. “C’mon babe. I made breakfast.”

Tokiya rolls onto his back, but that’s as far as he gets. His eyes are still closed. “I’m definitely still asleep.” Ranmaru snorts, but then Tokiya feels Ranmaru’s hand slide under his back, and the other under his knees, and Ranmaru lifts Tokiya. Ranmaru had definitely picked Tokiya up before- but it was almost always over his shoulder. The last time Ranmaru had picked him up like this had been nearly a year ago, when Tokiya had managed to fall down the last four steps of the house and had landed wrong on his ankle. Luckily it was only a sprain, but he had fallen right in front of Ranmaru and that meant that Ranmaru had assigned himself the duty of caring for Tokiya. When Ranmaru lifts him this time, he holds Tokiya closely to his chest, and Tokiya wraps his arms around Ranmaru’s neck, bending his head to rest it against Ranmaru’s shoulder, closing his eyes. Normally Tokiya finds himself getting flustered, being lifted, but he was still half asleep. “You’re warm.” Tokiya mumbles, trying to pull himself closer. 

Ranmaru clicks his tongue, but it’s clearly amused. He begins to leave the room as he speaks. “You’re supposed ‘t be waking up, not fallin’ back asleep.”

“Then maybe you should be less comfortable.”

“I can still sling ya over my shoulder if that’s what you want.”

“Is that a challenge? I’m sure that I could fall asleep there, too.”

“Too late. We’re at the table.”

Ren seems amused, seeing the situation, but Ranmaru lowers Tokiya into the chair. Tokiya refuses to unwrap his arms from around Ranmaru’s neck, and Ranmaru scoffs. Tokiya can hear Ren laugh, barely hiding it behind his hand. “You gonna let go of me, Toki?”

“Maybe in a minute.” 

“The food’s gonna get cold. If it isn’t already. Think we took at least ten minutes just ‘t get here.” Despite everything, including the bent over position that couldn’t have been very comfortable- Ranmaru isn’t trying to pull away. One of Ranmaru’s hands has settled on Tokiya’s waist, and it’s distracting. Moreso when Ranmaru’s hand moves lower, down to Tokiya’s hip, landing on the skin shown from the way the sweatshirt is pulling up. It takes a long moment for Tokiya to finally let go of Ranmaru, and part of the reason that he lets go is because Ranmaru’s hand is moving up, under his shirt, and Tokiya thinks that Ranmaru might be forming a plan and he didn’t trust it. 

Ranmaru’s hand pulls back slowly, his fingertips brushing over Tokiya’s stomach before he finally pulls away and straightens up to move to his own chair. 

Tokiya is quiet during breakfast, still a bit sleepy, and it’s likely from his restless sleep the night before. With this thought, he looks up at Ranmaru, but Ranmaru is looking at him. A glance at Ren shows that Ren’s attention is directed at Tokiya, too. 

“Are you alright, Toki? I heard you had a nightmare last night.” Ren’s eyebrows draw in. 

Tokiya manages a slight smile, though his face feels weighed down. He didn’t have another nightmare, but it felt like he had just fallen asleep when Ranmaru had woken him up, even though it was nearing eleven in the morning. Tokiya really did need to get into a schedule- he had been sleeping far too much. “I’m alright. I hardly even remember it now.”

Ranmaru’s giving him a nearly suspicious look, but Tokiya chooses to just focus on his food. It takes him longer than the other two to finally finish, but Ren takes the plate from in front of him when he’s done. 

“I can take care of it.” Tokiya’s offer is a mumble, and Ren shakes his head, but he does give Tokiya a smile. It’s very obvious that Ren won’t be budging on this. 

“I have it handled Toki.”

“Maybe you should take a nap.” Ranmaru’s eyebrow raises. 

“Weren’t you the one that woke me up?”

“‘T eat. We’re done eatin’. ‘N me ‘n you are goin’ out tonight. I’d rather ya be awake for that.”

“I’m still waking up.” Tokiya lifts his hands to rub at his eyes, not that it really helps. Ren has gone into the kitchen- Tokiya knows because he can hear the sink running. “I’ll be-” Tokiya has to stifle a yawn. “Fine later.”

“Mhm.” Tokiya doesn’t need to glance at Ranmaru’s expression to know just how much Ranmaru disbelieves him. 

“It’s true. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go to the bathroom.” Tokiya stands from the table, to push in his chair. He was planning to take a cold shower, to try to wake himself up. He manages to forget his clothes, just walking into the bathroom, not quite closing the door all the way. If he weren’t still half asleep, he’d feel embarrassed at how he’s acting- but he hasn’t woken up yet and he’s not showing any signs of doing so. Maybe it was because of how much he’s been sleeping- because his body feels sore, too. 

Tokiya reaches for the handle of the shower, but manages to pull it back just in time before he grabs the spider, waiting for him. Tokiya stumbles back, accidentally tripping himself, landing on his ass on the bathroom floor. He doesn’t even feel the fall, his hand moving over his chest. If he had seen the spider in a different way, maybe he wouldn’t quite be as terrified as he is- but his eyes are fixed on the spider. 

Ranmaru had entered the bedroom just as Tokiya had fallen, and had heard the thump as Tokiya fell, and he goes to the bathroom. “Toki, are you alright?” Ranmaru doesn’t hesitate to open the door- especially considering that it wasn’t closed in the first place. All Ranmaru sees when he enters is Tokiya, on the floor. “Shit- what happened?”

Tokiya finds himself going bright red, and not quite being able to look at Ranmaru. His voice is hardly audible, nothing more than a mumble. “There’s a spider on the shower handle.”

Tokiya almost expects Ranmaru to laugh- but maybe it’s the genuinely panicked expression on Tokiya’s face that keeps Ranmaru serious. “I’ll take care of it.” Ranmaru heads towards the shower, looking at the spider, still on the handle. “Good news is it ain’t a real poisonous one.” Ranmaru glances around the bathroom, but his gaze lands on Tokiya. “Y’didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

Tokiya shakes his head. His ass was a little sore, but he had fallen pretty hard on tile. He knew he’d be fine- likely not even bruised, but between the fall and the scare, he had definitely knocked the wind out of himself. “I didn’t fall that hard.”

“You can stand up?”

“In a minute.” Ranmaru’s suspicious look gets Tokiya to keep talking. “I’m just a little winded. I didn’t hurt anything.”

Ranmaru sighs. “I’ll take care ‘a the spider ‘n I’ll come back and take care of you.”

“That sounds ominous.” 

Ranmaru clicks his tongue, and then he reaches forward with a cupped hand, waiting for the spider to crawl onto it. 

“Jesus, Ranmaru, please be careful.”

“It’s fine.” Tokiya shakes his head, disbelieving, but Ranmaru takes the spider and leaves the bathroom. Something about Ranmaru choosing to take it outside warms Tokiya’s chest, giving him the reminder that Ranmaru really wasn’t as scary as he liked to act like he was.

Tokiya lies down on the floor. With the ‘threat’ gone, his tiredness returns. He closes his eyes. It’s cold, and uncomfortable, but damn is he tired. He doesn’t even hear Ranmaru come back, but he feels Ranmaru lift him, quietly clicking his tongue. “‘M not asleep.” Tokiya’s head rolls into Ranmaru’s shoulder, where he mumbles his defense. 

“Mhm. You’re takin’ a nap.” Tokiya lets out an over dramatic sigh, but he lets Ranmaru move him into the bed. Ranmaru climbs in with him, and Tokiya grabs onto Ranmaru’s shirt, pulling Ranmaru closer. Ranmaru scoffs, but it’s light hearted. “For all ‘a your fightin’ me on this, you sure gave in quick.”

“‘M not tired.” Tokiya grumbles. 

“Sounds like somethin’ a tired Tokiya would say.” Tokiya can hear the grin. Tokiya huffs, wrapping himself more firmly around Ranmaru. 

Tokiya ends up falling asleep quickly. When he wakes up, he notices he’s up a bit before Ranmaru, but when he works through his sleepiness from waking up, he realizes that he does feel better. He still stays still, not wanting to wake Ranmaru up again. 

One hand straight to the stomach was probably enough for one day. Tokiya was sure that Ranmaru would appreciate not being woken up by an attack from Tokiya. 

Ranmaru wakes up nearly a half an hour later, sleepily nuzzling into Tokiya’s shoulder, humming into Tokiya’s sweatshirt. Ranmaru’s arms wrap tighter around Tokiya. Tokiya feels Ranmaru’s hand move up his back, but his fingers press gently into the skin of his back. When Ranmaru’s hand leaves his back, Tokiya frowns, but it disappears when Ranmaru’s hand returns, moving underneath Tokiya’s shirt, to press against his skin directly. “Jesus.” Ranmaru mumbles. “Your back’s all kinds of fucked up.”

Tokiya laughs, rolling his eyes. “Thanks.”

“Here. Roll over.”

“It might be easier if you let go of me.” Tokiya teases, though it’s only half hearted. Ranmaru does listen, slowly removing himself from Tokiya, and Tokiya finally rolls onto his stomach. Ranmaru sits up, rolling his shoulders back. “As much as I appreciate it, you just woke up, Ran, you don’t have to.”

Ranmaru stops stretching, moving to lean on his elbow, his hand sliding underneath Tokiya’s shirt, up his back, and his hand stops around Tokiya’s mid-back, and as he runs his thumb across Tokiya’s skin, he presses in, and Tokiya lets out a sigh, closing his eyes and focusing on the pressure. Ranmaru leans in. “Y’sure that’s the answer you wanna go with?” Ranmaru’s voice is low. Confident. He obviously knows exactly what he’s doing, and he knows how Tokiya’s going to respond before he does. 

“Is this really a fair way to ask? I think this is the definition of playing dirty.”

Tokiya can picture Ranmaru’s grin. “If you want dirty, Toki, I can play dirty.”

“I might have to take that offer.” Tokiya’s voice is a challenge, and one that Ranmaru is quick to accept. When Ranmaru sits up, he makes Tokiya sit up, too. 

“Shirt off.”

“Demanding, aren’t we?” Tokiya grins, but he complies, sliding off his shirt. Ranmaru gently knocks Tokiya back to his stomach, moving on top of Tokiya to straddle his waist. Ranmaru’s hands slide up his back, to his shoulders, and Tokiya can feel Ranmaru’s fingertips press into his back, and Ranmaru clicks his tongue, feeling the knots. “You make it sound like it’s my fault my back’s so bad.”

“There’s ways ‘t help it, y’know.”

“It isn’t as if this is a daily thing.”

“It could be. All y’have ‘t do is ask, Toki.”

“...” Tokiya turns his head, his cheeks a bit red. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ranmaru stays silent, but Tokiya can tell that Ranmaru is pleased with his answer. Tokiya lets out a contented sigh, letting his eyes close, when Ranmaru’s thumbs press into his shoulders, beginning to work out the knots. He hears Ranmaru’s low chuckle, but the feeling of Ranmaru’s hands on his back was nice- even with the soreness that comes from actually working the knots out. Tokiya is reminded, as Ranmaru continues the massage, of how well Ranmaru knows him as he avoids the areas on Tokiya’s back that he knows are more sensitive, or how he stops working on an area before it feels like it’s too much, and it warms Tokiya’s heart. And Ranmaru’s strength helps, too, making it far easier to work on the problem areas. 

Even when Ranmaru’s done, his hands settle on Tokiya’s sides, just over his ribs, and Tokiya’s almost surprised that he’s not falling asleep. The pressure of Ranmaru over him was comforting, and with Ranmaru’s hands on him he felt warm. 

“Oi.” Ranmaru’s index finger taps on his side, “No fallin’ asleep on me.”

“I’m awake.” Tokiya promises, though his mumble is a bit sleepy. “Thank you, Ran.”

Ranmaru hums, finally moving off of Tokiya. He lands on his back on the bed next to Tokiya, and Tokiya pulls himself over- still on his stomach but resting on Ranmaru’s chest, his hand curling into Ranmaru’s shirt. “We could just spend all day right here.” Tokiya mumbles, his eyes still closed. Ranmaru snorts, shaking his head. 

“Hate ‘t break it to ya, but we do have plans for later.”

Tokiya gives a dramatic sigh, nuzzling into Ranmaru’s side. “I guess I just have to enjoy this now, then.”

Ranmaru clicks his tongue, but his arms wrap around Tokiya and he holds him tightly. 

Ranmaru finally reaches over to grab his phone, and he squeezes Tokiya. “We’ve got a movie in about two hours ‘n I was plannin’ ‘t get somethin’ ‘t eat with you first. We’ve gotta get ready, babe.”

“A movie, hmm?”

“That’s all your gettin’. Get dressed.”

Tokiya laughs, but he slides out of the bed, stretching. He reminds himself that he’s going to need to drink water, but his back did feel better already. Tokiya doesn’t take very long in getting ready, and Ranmaru only takes just a bit longer than Tokiya. 

Ranmaru takes a break halfway through his makeup to approach Tokiya who has just finished slipping on his shirt, and Ranmaru’s arms wrap tightly around Tokiya’s waist. He sets his chin on Tokiya’s shoulder and he drops his voice to a mumble. 

“You know I’m proud of you, right, Toki?”

“Huh?” Tokiya doesn’t know why that statement got his heart beating so quickly, or why his face feels so warm, or why his breath catches in his throat, but he’s certainly responding.

“I mean it. You’re still a little rough around the edges-” Ranmaru’s teasing tone slips away quickly, into a fond one. “But the way you are now, compared ‘t back when we met- fuckin’ night ‘n day. Trust me, you’re gettin’ better by the day.” Ranmaru lifts his head, enough to nudge his nose into the corner of Tokiya’s jaw before he slowly releases Tokiya and then ruffles his hair. 

Tokiya finally gets to turn, but his doe-eyed expression just gets a genuine smile out of Ranmaru, and before Tokiya can recover from the expression, Ranmaru is returning to the bathroom to finish his makeup. 

Tokiya lets out a long sigh, covering his face until he’s sure that his blush has gone done, but even then he knows that his face is still softer than it usually is. Tokiya couldn’t deny the fact that he really did enjoy how sweet they were being, but this one really had hit him hard. 

He finds himself with a small smile as he finishes getting ready. 

During the car ride, the conversation is limited for no other reason than enjoying that the driver wasn’t over talkative. When they get out, however, Ranmaru grabs Tokiya’s hand, so casually that Tokiya almost doesn’t even notice it- it’s just a comfortable presence, even when Ranmaru links their fingers together. Ranmaru chuckles, and the second that Tokiya glances to him out of the corner of his eye he knows that Ranmaru’s going to say something either very cheesy, or very flustering. 

Ranmaru’s voice is low and deep, as they walk through the mall that holds the theater they rarely go to. His line comes with a gentle squeeze of Tokiya’s hand and a smirk that almost makes Tokiya’s cheeks go red. “I like the way yer hand fits in mine.”

So, flustering. And maybe a little cheesy, but it gets a blush from Tokiya. Tokiya gives a soft huff, but Ranmaru’s proceeding chuckle shows that he sees Tokiya’s blush.

“So this ain’t gonna be the fanciest dinner, but is food court alright?”

“That’s fine.” Tokiya nods. 

Ranmaru doesn’t actually let go of Tokiya until they’ve ordered food. Ranmaru’s was easier, because he was more than happy to settle for a burger- Tokiya took an extra minute, and he had to accept eating unhealthier than he usually did, but a cheat day every once in a while wouldn’t kill him.

They have just enough time to not need to rush through their meal before the call time to their movie, and Ranmaru insists on being the one to throw away the trash. 

Ranmaru takes Tokiya’s hand again as they make their way to the theater. 

Tokiya is a bit more animated, in speaking about his opinion on the movie. Tokiya was sure that Ranmaru had thoughts, too, but he seemed content in listening to Tokiya’s excited ramblings, so Tokiya let himself take over the conversation without wondering if he should- just for now. 

When Tokiya finally slows down, his quiet is almost hesitant, and it gets Ranmaru’s attention on him. “What?”

Tokiya’s laugh is a bit awkward, and he rubs the back of his neck, giving Ranmaru a sheepish grin. “I had a good time, and I mean it, but… I… it feels like it’s over too soon?” Tokiya’s face is definitely red. 

He normally doesn’t blush nearly this much, but this week had him on edge in a way that he admittedly enjoyed. It was nicer the longer it went on, even if Tokiya couldn’t find himself getting used to it.

“I was thinkin’ the same thing.” Ranmaru’s answer is gruff. Genuine. It makes Tokiya shift just a bit closer to Ranmaru, until their arms are pressed together. “You up for a drink?” 

Tokiya’s grin comes more easily now. “I can get behind that.”

The car location changes, to a bar they know is close to their home- and a quick text is sent to Ren so that he wasn’t worried. Ranmaru had called the car and Tokiya had texted Ren, though Tokiya didn’t bother to tell Ren not to stay up because he knew that Ren was going to anyways.

After a simple good wish, the car is here and Tokiya’s texts have finished. Ranmaru opens the door for him. 

This driver is a bit more chatty, and it’s Tokiya that ends up taking over the awkwardly polite small talk. Ranmaru only really grunts here and there where it’s appropriate. 

Tokiya knows that the bar they were going to was the one Ranmaru frequented when he’d go out with friends, but Tokiya had only been once or twice and it was usually to walk Ranmaru back if he had a bit too much to drink. Ranmaru was good on not drinking just to drink, but sometimes if he were having a good time he could lose track of his drinks. 

And that was what ended up happening tonight. 

They were _definitely_ having a good time. 

For neither man usually being that much of a conversationalist, they could usually find plenty to talk about between each other, and less than a few drinks in they had each other laughing- Ranmaru’s deep, booming laugh filled at least half of the bar, and Tokiya sometimes started laughing so hard that he’d double over, his laugh no longer audible.

“Shit.” Ranmaru finally says, grinning despite the expletive. “We drank way too fuckin’ much, Toki.” If he were sober, it’d be a more serious statement- but Tokiya’s not finding it that much of a deal, either. 

“We’ll live.” Tokiya finds his own smile growing wider, seeing Ranmaru’s. “Probably a hell of a hangover, though.”

“We’re old men.” Ranmaru gives another, booming laugh, and Tokiya’s comes out more as a giggle. 

“You, me and Ren. Already starting to become elderly.” Tokiya gives an exhale that almost comes across as a sigh, but he’s still smiling. “Ren is going to whoop us.”

Ranmaru’s wild grin changes, and his eyebrows raise and Tokiya just knows he’s about to say something stupid. “Maybe if we beg.”

“Ran, oh my God!” Tokiya falls back into the laugh that makes him double over, his head pressed against the table. He tries to playfully swat at Ranmaru’s arm but misses and instead settles for trying to go for his leg and brushing his fingers against Ranmaru’s thigh. “Oh my God we’re so fucked.” Ranmaru’s grin returns and Tokiya just covers his face. “Don’t do it.”

Tokiya feels Ranmaru press a finger into his side. “Oi. Look at me.” Tokiya gives a playful huff, not uncovering his eyes, but he can’t help the squirm and giggle when Ranmaru pokes him again, just under his ribcage. “I’m not gonna stop pokin’ you ‘til you give me some attention.”

Tokiya makes a face, still playful, but his eyes widen when Ranmaru’s arm wraps over his shoulder and Ranmaru’s lips press to Tokiya’s. It’s an extremely short, sloppy kiss that hadn’t even fully landed on Tokiya’s lips, but Ranmaru still smiles at Tokiya when he pulls back and then ruffles Tokiya’s hair. 

Even drunk, Ranmaru couldn’t forget they were in public- but Tokiya found that there was absolutely no embarrassment. It helped, too, that they had chosen a corner booth. 

“Alright. Mornin’s gonna be hell, ‘n we’re fucking shitfaced babe. We should call Ren.”

Tokiya hums, though the only move he makes is to lean into Ranmaru. Ranmaru gives a shorter laugh but he manages to wrestle his phone out of his back pocket. He accidentally calls _Tokiya_ first, but realizes it when Tokiya’s phone rings. 

“Wrong speed dial.” Ranmaru mutters, but he gets it right on the next ring. “Oi, Ren.” 

“...Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

“I won’t. We won’t. We will. Yeah. Thanks babe.”

Ranmaru hangs up, and Tokiya gazes at him curiously. 

“He’s comin’ in ‘t get us. Wants us ‘t stay still ‘n stop drinkin’.”

“He’s a good boyfriend.” Tokiya mumbles, and then he leans into Ranmaru, tilting his head up so that his nose brushes Ranmaru’s neck, and he gets a cheesy grin on his face. “You know who _else_ is a good boyfriend?” Tokiya tries to purr, but he misses the mark. Ranmaru still entertains him. 

“‘N just who’s that?”

“You.” Tokiya’s tone has shifted to more matter-of-fact. “I love you, Ran-Ran.”

That one makes Ranmaru lose it, “Jesus Christ Tokiya, please never call me that again.”

Tokiya’s laugh is almost a howl, his words barely comprehensible. “It wasn’t sexy?”

“You two seem like you’re having fun.” Ren’s voice is amused, but his expression is carefully exasperated. “But I think you’ve both had more than enough. Come on.”

They nearly fall over each other, getting out of the bar stool. Ren moves behind them to lead them both, a hand on Tokiya’s back and his other on Ranmaru’s. Ranmaru leans in, just before they get into the car. “I love you, too.”


	4. Day Four

When Tokiya wakes up, he’s almost piled on top of Ranmaru, and his head is pounding. As he lays there, trying to get himself together, he can’t bring himself to regret last night, even if everything in him ached. Tokiya shifts and Ranmaru groans, showing that he’s just as affected as Tokiya is. 

Tokiya feels a hand pet gently through his hair, and he looks up, resting his chin on Ranmaru’s bare chest to look at Ren with groggy eyes. 

“Morning, baby.” Ren says, keeping his voice soft. His voice turns teasing as he gently brushes the backs of his fingers against Ranmaru’s cheek. “And to my other baby.”

Ranmaru grumbles, not opening his eyes. 

Tokiya, with his eyes open, notices the bottle of water and the bottle of aspirin. It makes him sit up, though he can’t help his wince. 

“You’re an angel.” Tokiya mumbles, reaching for Ren, who chuckles and only hands him the water bottle that’s already been partly opened, and then Ren opens the aspirin bottle to hand two pills to Tokiya and he’s fast to take them. Tokiya gently pats Ranmaru’s chest. “You should get up and take some pills.”

“Say no ‘t drugs, Toki.” Ranmaru huffs, making no move to sit up. Ren rolls his eyes, good naturedly, and it makes Tokiya smile. 

“You can go back to sleep after you take them. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.” Ren’s coercion is gentle, but it does finally get Ranmaru to sit up, only long enough to take the pills- and Tokiya thinks that he may have just swallowed them dry if Tokiya hadn’t forced the bottle on him. “Do you want to sleep for a while, too, Toki?” Ren asks gently, as Ranmaru fumbles to put the water on the table and lay back down. 

Tokiya nods. Ren gives both a sigh and a small smile, and then he kisses Tokiya’s forehead gently. “We’ll take it easy today, but it’s still early. You can both sleep a bit more.”

Tokiya hums, but he settles back into the bed with Ranmaru. Ranmaru is on his side, so Tokiya just slides down the bed enough to press his forehead between Ranmaru’s shoulder blades and wraps his arm around Ranmaru’s waist. 

Tokiya would have invited Ren back into the bed, but he hears Ren moving around doing something and he thinks that if anyone were to press into his stomach he might feel sicker, and there was nowhere else for Ren to go. 

Tokiya sleeps for another two hours, but he knows Ranmaru is still asleep so he’s careful to crawl out of bed without waking him up. They have black out curtains in their room because Ranmaru likes to take naps, but even though it’s clearly day, it must be overcast outside because it’s hard to see, and Tokiya manages to stumble and hit his arm hard against the door handle to the bathroom right as the bedroom door opens. 

Tokiya _hisses_ , holding his arm, still trying to be quiet, but the noise dies in his throat when he realizes that Ren had caught him whacking his arm against the door and he tries to slip into the bathroom. 

Ren follows, though he catches Tokiya by the elbow on the arm he hadn’t hit and pulls him closer to gently take Tokiya’s other arm, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“It’s fine.” Tokiya assures him before he can ask. “It’s only a little sore.”

“You hit it awfully hard.” Ren’s first statement seems genuine, and Tokiya knows his concern is- but then something flickers in Ren’s eyes that makes Tokiya narrow his. “I have an idea.” Ren hums, and Tokiya can’t deny that Ren’s smile is nice, even as he lifts Tokiya’s arm so that he can press a gentle kiss just next to where he had hit his arm. Ren has just winked when he lowers Tokiya’s arm to instead cup his face. “Let me kiss it better.”

“I think you already have.” Tokiya mumbles, but he makes no moves to stop Ren when Ren leans in. The kiss remains gentle, soft and slow as Ren’s free hand moves to Tokiya’s hip to pull him closer. When Ren finally pulls back, he presses a kiss to the corner of Tokiya’s jaw. 

“Oh God.” Tokiya finally realizes, his eyes closing, half heartedly trying to push Ren off. “I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet-”

Ren chuckles, only holding Tokiya a bit closer, pressing the side of his face to Tokiya’s until Tokiya gives in and wraps his arms around Ren. “You’re always as fresh as a flower, my rose.”

Tokiya groans. “That was cheesy. And I don’t even need to look into the mirror to know you’re wrong. I need to get in the shower.”

Ren still seems amused, but he does pull back from Tokiya to release him. “Do you want me to grab you clothes?”

“Please.” Tokiya offers a small smile, which gets a brighter smile out of Ren. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” 

Tokiya starts the shower to get the water warm, but he’s hit by a wave of nausea and has to sit down on the lid of the toilet. When Ren walks back in with some folded clothes, he leaves them on the counter and goes to Tokiya, his eyebrows pulled in, and his hand lands on Tokiya’s cheek. “Are you okay, Toki?”

“Just a little sick.” Tokiya mumbles. “I’ll be okay.”

“Maybe you should wait to take a shower.” Ren’s mouth turns down at the edges. “I don’t want you to fall.”

“It’s not that bad.” Tokiya assures. “I mean it. And I feel gross.”

Ren sighs. “Alright. But be careful, okay? And if it gets worse, call me.”

“I will.” 

Ren pets his hand through Tokiya’s hair and kisses his forehead, and when he leaves, he keeps the door cracked open. Tokiya takes a long moment before he finally strips from his clothing to get into the shower. He has to lean against the back wall, and he lets out a quiet huff. 

Tokiya couldn’t bring himself to regret last night, though he _did_ wish he had monitored his alcohol intake a bit more, and he thinks that Ranmaru is probably going to feel the same. Tokiya gets through washing his hair before he has to step out of the shower to throw up in the toilet. 

Ren is in very shortly after, ignoring the fact that Tokiya is soaked to rub his back and push his hair back from his face and to stop Tokiya from leaning his head against the toilet bowl. 

“If you’re going to sit back, baby, lean against the wall, alright?” As Ren speaks, he’s unhooking one of the towels to wrap around Tokiya and Tokiya lets himself sit on the bathmat. He watches Ren as Ren turns off the shower and then turns to wipe Tokiya’s mouth with a small wad of toilet paper. 

Tokiya finds his gaze softening, looking up at Ren with something almost doe-eyed. “What’s that look for, Toki?”

“It’s hard to explain.” Tokiya pulls the towel tighter around himself. Ren gives him a few extra seconds to think as he tosses the toilet paper into the toilet and flushes, before he settles into a crouch. Tokiya lets his head fall back, taking a deep breath as he closes his eyes. It’s harder to talk when he’s looking at Ren’s face- even if Ren’s expression is nothing but patient and encouraging. “This week so far has been nice, but I think the moment’s where you’re both trying the least have been the best.”

Ren rocks forward onto his knees to press his forehead against Tokiya’s. He gently pets through the ends of Tokiya’s wet hair for a moment before he pulls back to press a kiss to the tip of Tokiya’s nose. “The only reason we’re doing this, Toki, is to remind you that we want to. All of the little things we do aren’t going to stop, and they aren’t _new_ either- but I hope that you start noticing them more. We _want_ you to feel doted on.” Ren’s fingers trail down the side of Tokiya’s neck, and he gives Tokiya a soft smile. “We should get you dried and dressed.”

Tokiya helps, feeling a bit less nauseous but still looking forward to getting off of his feet. Ren helps him dry his hair and to steady him while he gets dressed. He’s hovering, Tokiya realizes as he brushes his teeth to get the taste out of his mouth, but Tokiya doesn’t think he minds. 

“Living room or bed?” Ren asks, linking his fingers with Tokiya’s. Tokiya glances into the bedroom, but Ranmaru is still asleep. 

“Bed, for now.” Tokiya mumbles. “Will you lay down with us?”

“Of course I will.”

Tokiya ends up getting Ren into the middle of the bed, and he realizes that he was right to because Ranmaru turns over to grab at Ren. Tokiya normally wouldn’t mind Ranmaru wrapping himself around Tokiya but he didn’t think his stomach could handle the pressure right now. Ren is gentler with Tokiya, his arm resting gently against Tokiya’s side. After a moment, Tokiya feels Ranmaru reach over, groping for him, and finally landing a hand on Tokiya’s upper arm. Tokiya feels Ren chuckle, rather than hears, and Ranmaru’s hand slides up Tokiya’s arm. Ranmaru pets through Tokiya’s hair, but only for a moment because to get his hand that high he has to press his arm against Ren’s face. 

“Your hair’s real fucking soft.” Ranmaru mutters, finally moving his hand back to Tokiya’s arm, a much more comfortable position for Ren. “But ‘r you doin’ okay? Heard you throwin’ up.”

“I’m okay. I’m sure I’ll feel better in a little bit.”

“We’re old, Toki.” Ranmaru groans, letting his head fall against Ren’s back. 

“We’re old.” Tokiya laments. 

Ren’s grin grows to be teasing. “Don’t speak for all of us, now.”

Tokiya snorts. “You’re older than me.”

“Then I guess you must not be that old either. Sorry, Ran.”

Ranmaru huffs, but then his hand leaves Tokiya to move to Ren’s side. He hasn’t even begun to tickle Ren before Ren is already squirming. “I’m sorry! I take it back!” 

Tokiya laughs- the kind of breathless laugh that he had been giving Ranmaru last night, especially when Ranmaru still brushes his fingers along Ren’s side just long enough to make Ren start howling before he finally takes pity. 

“You’re terrible.” Ren says weakly, when he’s caught his breath. Tokiya’s only just started to calm down himself, but he’s still grinning widely and Ren pokes his side. “Both of you.”

“I’m gonna go get washed up.” Ranmaru groans, finally letting go of Ren to sit up, stretching. Tokiya watches the muscles in his back move, and his eyes don’t leave Ranmaru until Ranmaru’s grabbed clothes and entered the bathroom. 

“We should get up.” Tokiya mumbles. “At least to the living room. I’ve been in bed all day.”

“We can do that.”

That day had mostly been spent relaxing on the couch and watching TV. They had spent some time with Tokiya reading and Ranmaru and Ren on their phones, but as evening rolls around they choose to order in dinner and Tokiya picks up his laptop. 

Tokiya frowns, his fingers stilling against the keys. 

It still wasn’t right. 

Tokiya knew that he was supposed to wait until the end of the week to really try- but he had still written a small draft meant to be more dramatic and less… sad, but it still didn’t feel right. It felt as if it were just… _boring_. 

“Toki, look at me.” Tokiya jumps when Ren speaks, but he looks over. Ren gently closes the laptop to move it onto the coffee table. Tokiya can see that Ranmaru’s attention has turned to Tokiya, too, but Ren is the one that speaks. “Talk to me, baby, what’s wrong?”

“Am I that obvious?”

“Painfully.” Ren sighs, his hand moving to Tokiya’s cheek, his thumb running along Tokiya’s cheekbone. 

“I’m just still having trouble writing. I don’t like what I’m putting out now. Trying to change it.”

“Give it time.” Ren says gently. “You don’t need to feel bad. You’re incredibly talented, you just need to get the right inspiration is all. Don’t rush yourself, baby doll.”

Tokiya sighs. “I’ll do my best.”

Ren kisses Tokiya’s forehead. “Trust me. You’re completely capable of writing something wonderful that’s sweet and happy, and sad writing always has its place, too- but it’s all about enjoying it, too. If you still can’t write it at the end of the week, that’s alright. But I promise you that even what you have there is good. You’re a very talented writer.”

Tokiya sighs, but he leans into Ren, and Ren shifts so that he can pull Tokiya closer, to cuddle him. Ranmaru puts his hand over Tokiya’s on Ren’s shoulder just long enough to squeeze his hand. 

They stay up later that night- until around ten, when Ranmaru starts yawning, though it makes Ren chuckle. It’s nice, getting ready for bed with them- though it’s starting to feel just a bit more normal after so long of not doing it. 

Tokiya ends up in the middle, and Ren holds him tightly. Luckily, Tokiya’s nausea and headache has been gone for quite some time. Ren moves so that he can speak lowly next to Tokiya’s ear. “Tomorrow you’re all mine, Toki.” Ren purrs. “You and I are going to spend the day together.”

Tokiya finds himself smiling. “I suppose I could get behind that.”


End file.
